Mallya’s defence lawyers raising issues to delay extradition: Rijiju

London: Minister of State (MoS) for Home Kiren Rijiju on Friday said that defence lawyers who are raising issues over liquor baron Vijay Mallya case are just delaying the matter adding that they need not worry about conditions of trial in India or of our judiciary.

While speaking to ANI, Rijiju said “Defence lawyers are raising issues just to delay matter but we have requisite things in India for fair trial of Vijay Mallya or anybody”.

“So they need not worry about conditions of trial in India or should not cast aspersion on independence of our judiciary,” Rijiju.

Yesterday, after a long recess over the Christmas and New Year period, the extradition trial of Mallya resumed at Westminster Magistrate’s Court.

In a long and technical submission filled with legalese, Mallya’s defence counsel Clare Montgomery questioned the admissibility, reliability and evidentiary value of documentation submitted by the government of India, in particular, the witness statements submitted by a wide array of witnesses such as banking officials.

Section 84 of the United Kingdom’s Extradition Act provides strict regulations that pertain to the reliability and quality of documentary evidence.

Montgomery requested judge Emma Arbuthnot to check the documents submitted by the India”>Government of India for admissibility.

Mallya’s counsel also protested the fact that the Indian government’s documents and statements included submissions that had no relevance to the IDBI Bank case – which is the central axis on which the extradition trial hinges. She also pointed to numerous glaring anomalies in the prosecutions documents and witness statements, including some which she said had been “cut and pasted” and submitted as being from different witnesses.

After hearing the argument, the court has extended Mallya’s bail to April 2. (ANI)